What I Wish I Knew

First off, I literally have 5 drafts of blog posts, but never post them cause... who knows:/. ANYWAYSS

Many of yall are high schoolers, and I would love to just take this moment and have a little one-on-one talk about high school and then those going into college!!

Freshmen!! The cuties of the school. This is / was most likely the year of eye opening things. You realized that school is pretty hard. You realized who your true friends are. You realized that you are no longer "the top dog" of the school. The year of realization. My freshmen year was weird. I wanted to change who I was (not really for a better reason); I wanted to be popular- cause new beginnings means becoming a new person, right???

After coming back from Germany my sophomore year, my eyes were opened up to my "real friends." So my advice, you have 4 years. Don't force things that aren't suppose to be forced. Focus on school, but don't let that become your life. Listen to your parents, but also know what's best for you. Your parents want you to succeed, so be respectful and learn from what they have to say because pretty soon you'll be applying to college and out on your own.

I'm going to skip on over to Junior and Senior year because my sophomore was different than most.

Juniors. The stressful year. College is off in the distance, but it's definitely in sight. This is the year that your parents stress about grades because... college. Get good grades, but don't let it consume your life. Balance. Sounds impossible, but trust me it is possible. My junior year, I came back from Germany, and only had 3 of my true friends beside my side. I was in a different type of school system in Germany, so coming back to the states I got a 25% on my first 3 math quizzes- was a greattttt feeling lemme tell ya. Junior year was a YEAR. I worked hard. I got really close with God. I joined a new sport and quit one that I grew up loving. I pulled my 25% in math to a 93 by the end. And I managed to have a social life (mainly YoungLife lol). How did I do it? Balance. Yes there were many days where I was exhausted and did NOT want to take that ACT SAT one more time, but in the end, my parents were proud of my hard work, so even if I didn't get the scores, times, or friends I wanted, I was proud of myself and I know God was to.

Senior year. (My main focus on this lil post)

Senior-itis. WHY IS THIS A THING? Idk why, but it's real and it hits you around November... but around February it HITS you like a TRUCK! Keep going. Fall semester you applied to some colleges. You wait. Whether you got into your dream college or not, that should not define who you are or how your college career will be. Chin up butter cup. Go to all the football games (oh how I miss Friday night lights). Hang with friends. Ask that cute boy / girl out. Get those gas station slushies. Go for car rides with windows down. MAKE MEMORIES. Don't let petty drama stop you.

So it's the spring semester. You have weeks / days before you graduate. I know you probably "hate" HS right now, I suggest changing that attitude because you won't just be leaving high school, you'll be leaving your friends and family.

You graduate. You truly did a THING! Congrats, you survived what may seem like 4 minutes of your life or maybe it seemed like 40 years. High school is weird, but college is weirder.

Over the summer, my advice to become so so close with God because what they don't tell you is that college is hard- not just school wise (oh my word get ready...) but friends and life wise. I'm not trying to scare you because the pros definitely out weigh the cons. After talking to a few of my friends, this is what I have come up with:

1. You will be alone. In the beginning it's rough. You basically are faking it till you make it. Some of my good friends said that the first 7 weeks, they would literally call their moms crying- afraid that they were never going to fit in and have friends. If this happens to you, don't freak out. It's normal. It's a process. Even after a few months pass, friendships change. College friends are so weird. In high school you knew what type of milk your friend's parents would buy, but in college, 9 months pass by and you finally find out they have a brother.

2. Yes you have freedom, but go to classssss. Some lectors are optional, but that should not mean to "skip" because you are too lazy. Professors appreciate dedication, and some may even honor those who put in effort for simply going to class.

3. Treat your body right. Food on campus is a struggle for eating right, but it is doable. Work out. I can not stress you how important these things are for you physically and mentally. I will be the first to agree that I do not always eat correctly cause it is very hard, but my body craves exercise. I use it as a stress reliever. Find your healthy niche and make it apart of your daily / weekly plan. Plus your future self will thank you later for not gaining that freshman 15. That's all I have for now. I am learning everyday more and more about myself. Lot's of love for those who read these:) bye for now.